velunafandomcom-20200215-history
Eagle's Rest
Eagle's Rest is a small border town on the western edge of Corovon's territory. History Founded during the Dark Ages, Eagle's Rest was originally a small frontier fort that serviced and supplied rangers in the mountains to the west of Corovon. As time went on and the area became less dangerous, other travelers started coming to the fort. The first of them were caravaneers, bringing supplies and news to the fort and conveying reports back to their commanders. With their old role becoming less and less important, they began looking for other reasons to make the long journey worth the expense. From there, settlers began to trickle in, building their homes and businesses around the fort as they built up a small pocket of safety in the wilderness. Due to the remoteness of Eagle's Rest, that number never grew larger than a few dozen at most. At the time of its founding, the fort had no official name and was usually referred to simply as "the fort in the mountains." The story of how it earned its name is half fact, half legend. The Eagle's Rest Though most shorten it to Eagle's Rest, locals will always insist on calling their small hamlet The Eagle's Rest. Local folklore points to a single source for the name, a story passed down for hundreds of years. Tradition dictates that it only be conveyed via word of mouth and never written down. "A long time ago, a great red dragon swooped down from its mountain lair, ravaging the small communities that dared to eek out a living on the slopes. Swords and arrows simply bounced off its hard scales and neither armor nor walls were any defense against its breath or claws. As the hamlet was burning, a single ranger, who's name has been lost to time, kissed his family goodbye and took up his battered, flame-scorched bow. Grasping an arrow, he whispered a prayer to the Stag God, promising his life for a single, perfect shot. He drew the string back...and waited. When the dragon wheeled about and its maw was turned towards him, the ranger stood his ground and loosed. A keening sound, like an eagle's cry, rang out as the arrow shot forth. '' ''Seeing this, the dragon scoffed at this show of defiance and paid it no mind. Hadn't its scales deflected one hundred arrows and one hundred swords? But had it not been drunk on bloodlust and death, perhaps it would have been more cautious. Rather than bounce off, the keening arrow slipped into a tiny gap between its armored scales, cracked the steel-like bones beneath its skin, and pierced its enormous heart. In its shock, the dragon was able to do little more than let out its final death cry before its body hurtled to the ground. But such a shot was not without a price, as the ranger had promised. As soon as the arrow left the bow's string, the weapon cracked and shattered into a thousand pieces. But it paled in comparison to the ravages inflicted upon the archer's body. Though he lay dying, the humble ranger gave thanks to Erastil for hearing his prayer and allowing him to save so many in exchange for so small a price. His final words spoken, he expired on the spot." In the center of town lies a gravestone so old that the text engraved on its surface has been worn away by time and wind. However, atop it sits an eagle, sculpted from stone. Supposedly, it is the spot from which the ranger made his last stand. The Eagle's Rest. Geography Eagle's Rest is situated on a heavily forested mountain, from which it draws much of its trade goods, namely game, furs, and wood. Its growth over the centuries has been slow and haphazard, only building up as needed. The old fort lies just off the center of town, though it has fallen into disuse in recent decades as the rangers established lodges farther and farther. The structure is still maintained in case of emergencies, however. An old dwarven hold, Ash-Home, lies hidden somewhere in the mountains, though its location has been lost since well before the end of the Dark Ages. The rumors of treasures hidden in its depths have drawn adventurers to the town over the years, though most depart in disappointment. Inhabitants Eagle's Rest, though a small hamlet of only a few dozen, is fairly diverse. Though the town was founded by humans, nearly a third of the population is made up of Dwarves, descendants of refugees from Ash-Home. Elves and Half-Elves can be seen as well, but most prefer to live in the forests rather than in the town itself. Halflings and Gnomes are a rare sight, though some come in with the caravans on occasion. Half-Orcs are completely absent from the town due to the bad relationship Eagle's Rest has with a nearby tribe of Orcs. Religion, Magic, & Technology Religion Religion in Eagle's Rest is a three-way split between Erastil and Abadar for the humans and Torag for the Dwarves. Erastil's followers were present in the region as far back as before the town's founding, while the Abadarans filtered in with the later caravans. The two priesthoods often butt heads on matters of policy and jurisdiction, but still work together to keep the small town safe and prosperous. Magic Divine magic is trusted by most of the townsfolk, as they have been exposed to it for most of their lives in one form or another, though the number of actual priests capable of casting spells is very small. Arcane magic is less trusted, though still warily accepted. The remoteness of Eagle's Rest means that most mages who come to it seek solitude, whether it be for nefarious purpose or otherwise. There are only one or two mages in the whole town. Technology Technology is completely unfamiliar to Eagle's Rest and no examples exist here. Law & Crime The local Abadaran priest usually acts as a judge for any crimes that may be committed. Because of their influence, Eagle's Rest has a very well-defined law code with fair punishments for the crimes committed. People and Places of Interest General Locations Mountain Fort- This is the old fort around which the town was based. It now serves mostly as an administrative building. The local Abadaran priest and his shrine can be found here, as can the village headman. Shrine of Erastil- Situated at the edge of town, the shrine was a concession to the townsfolk to make accessing their services more convenient and safer. It is attended nearly everyday by the local priest. Occasionally, it will see visits from local rangers and druids seeking Erastil's patronage. The Eagle's Rest- The ancient grave from which the town takes its name is in the near-exact center of town. Local legend says that on the night of a new moon, the ghost of the Ranger can be seen standing in front of it with his bow in hand, protecting the town even in death from some unseen threat. Despite multiple consecrations by the local priests, the stories have persisted over the centuries. Grimr's Saw Mill- Owned by the dwarf Grimr Stonespeaker, the saw mill is one of the town's biggest sources of revenue and trade goods. Many of the buildings in town were constructed from the log processed there. Shiner's- Shiner's is the local tavern, servicing loggers, hunters, trappers, and any travelers that wander through. It earned its name from both the moonshine it produces and from the regularity of the drunken fights that occur in its grounds. Category:Cities Category:Locations